Tabbouleh

I love fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs. Add couscous and you have a hearty salad or side dish known as Tabbouleh.  It makes a great lunch or the perfect side for grilled chicken. The first time I had Tabbouleh was a mix in a box my sister had bought. Since then I have had it in many Greek restaurants. The restaurant version is usually more herbs than couscous. This is my at home version. It keeps well in the refrigerator provided you seed the tomatoes and cucumbers. If you don't it will get a little mushy. It is also great made with quinoa too. Just make sure the quinoa is cooked dry or drained. I love the lemon zest in this recipe. It is a great bright and fresh summer salad. 

Tabbouleh
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 tsp chicken bouillon
1 cup couscous
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 English cucumber, seeded and diced
1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
3 Tbsp mint, chopped

2 sprigs oregano, leaves stripped and chopped
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 green onions, including tops, sliced
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions

In a 2 cup or larger measuring cup or bowl, bring a cup of water to boil in the microwave. Stir in chicken bouillon and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir in couscous and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand until the couscous is tender and the liquid is completely absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Add all the remaining ingredients to a large salad bowl and toss gently just until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Fluff couscous with a fork and add to the bowl. Toss again until couscous is evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve chilled.

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